Ryder Addresses Washington State Audience on Social Media Misinformation
Tripepi Smith President Ryder Todd Smith offered his expert insights about countering misinformation on social media during a webinar hosted by the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) delivered Wednesday, October 13, 2021. Over one hundred local government professionals and elected officials joined the webinar.
“MRSC strives to deliver insightful presentations and information to local governments through our webinar series and website. The critical challenge of addressing misinformation that our public agencies are constantly battling in Washington state was of keen interest to our audience,” noted MRSC Executive Director Tracy Burrows. “Tripepi Smith has been a strong partner with the city management community in Washington, and a frequent speaker at our conference. He is always ready to share his experiences and insights, and offer great ideas for senior leaders to consider.”
Ryder shared his insights and experiences on helping public agencies navigate misinformation and optimizing communications to address the risk posed by social media in spreading misinformation. Of note was his presentation on data about social media market penetration and the evolution of how the public digests content, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout his presentation, Ryder touched on topics including:
- The social media audience;
- The death of local newspapers;
- The battle to be the arbiter of truth;
- Fact-checking; and
- How organizations can establish trust.
“One of our Tripepi Smith axioms is ‘Information abhors a vacuum.’ Someone will tell the story on your city or county if your agencies say nothing, so get your information out there first,” said Ryder. “The upside with social media is that it enables local governments to quickly distribute facts to their communities. I thank MRSC for giving me a chance to talk with a community of local leaders in Washington state. MRSC is a powerful resource for the local government community in Washington.”
If your public agency needs assistance getting ahead of misinformation, contact the Tripepi Smith team.
About MRSC
The Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) is a nonprofit organization that helps local governments across Washington State better serve their communities by providing legal and policy guidance on any topic. At MRSC, they believe the most effective government is a well-informed local government, and as cities, counties, and special purpose districts face rapid changes and significant challenges, they are here to help.
MRSC serves all 281 cities and towns in Washington, all 39 counties, and hundreds of special-purpose districts, state agencies, and other government partners. Originally established in 1934 as the University of Washington Bureau of Governmental Research, MRSC has operated as a private nonprofit since 1969.
About Tripepi Smith
Tripepi Smith is a California-based marketing, technology and public affairs firm that serves for-profit, nonprofit and public agencies. Its unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provides a competitive advantage to agencies seeking to leverage the internet to achieve their communication goals. The firm provides full content creation services, including: ghost writing, collateral development, photography, video production, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith clients include: City of American Canyon, City of Culver City, City of Cupertino, City of Daly City, City of Duarte, City of Grover Beach, City of Santa Paula, City of Indian Wells, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Lake Forest, City of Livermore, City of Napa, City of Paramount, City of Martinez, City of Tracy, City of Vallejo, CalChoice Energy Authority, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Rowland Water District, California Contract Cities Association, California City Management Foundation, Renne Public Law Group, Bob Hall & Associates and Climatec.